Setting the Mood: How to Create the Best Customer Experience
By Dixie Somers
No matter what type of business you operate, the customer experience is one of the most important aspects that determines long-term success. If you operate a physical storefront, part of creating a great customer experience is designing that storefront to be a welcoming and inviting space that matches the personality of your business. You can have great employees and offer a great product or service and still leave your customers with a bad taste in their mouths if you overlook this important component of their experience. Here are a few ways to take customer satisfaction to the next level.
Physical Comfort
Another aspect of creating a great customer experience is keeping them comfortable with the optimal interior temperature. This can be quite a challenge, however. If it’s you who’s in charge of this element, always ask at least five other people, whether employees, customers, or both, if the temperature is comfortable, especially after big changes in the outside temperature. This will help you judge the comfort that will be experienced by everyone else who enters.
Additionally, make sure your space isn’t cramped or cluttered. Consider moving more product and inventory into the back area of your shop so there is plenty of room to walk and explore. If someone feels like they might knock something over simply by turning around, they may choose roomier locations in the future so they don’t have that feeling of anxiety while shopping.
Sound Control
Typically, when people think of sound in regards to their business location, they only think of music they can play to help create the right atmosphere. The sounds in your business can add to or take away from the overall experience you provide your customers. For example, if you run a spa-like boutique, filled with bath bombs and scented candles, blasting Metallica might not fit in with your overall aesthetic (unless that’s your niche, of course). Since music can help to regulate mood, playing the right music can help put your customers in the emotional place you want them to be to encourage a good experience.
Another aspect of sound that’s important to deal with, though, is how sound waves travel within a particular room. Most important is to ensure that customers can’t hear each other’s conversations with employees while they conduct business, which could lead to stolen personal information or other issues. Use sound absorbing materials in the ceiling and, if necessary, in the walls, to create a discrete environment that’s still comfortable and welcoming.
Cohesive Interiors
Everything about your physical location communicates something to your customers. From the moment they drive even remotely close to your building, they begin to form an opinion about your business that is difficult to undo. That is why it’s so important to have business signs, décor, and other interior elements that match the personality of your business.
To take an extreme example, it could be off-putting for someone entering a funeral home to come in and see pictures of children at a carnival or cowboys at a rodeo. That would be confusing and, in many cases, upsetting. Though you certainly have some freedom within your particular niche to find the perfect interior elements, always ask yourself if a particular element says to your customers without words what you try to say with your services.
All of these elements are great to have but they can’t do much without employees who know how to put them to good use. As you add new elements or new employees, make sure you fully explain all the features of your building that are designed to enhance the customer experience. As everything comes together, this will assist your employees in doing their jobs well, leading to more fully satisfied customers.
